Track and switch system.



No. 777,050. PATENTED DEG. 6, 1904. W. R. THURSTON.

TRACK AND SWITCH SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 27, 1904.

No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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By mrs TTRNE No. 777,050. PATENTED DEG. e, 1904.

` W. R. THURSTON.

TRACK AND SWITCH SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 27, 1904.

HO MODEL. Z SHEBTS-SHBET 2.

wf* W ATTORNEYS Patented December 6, 1904:.

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'raAeK AND ewuron avert-wn SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,050, dated December 6, 1904.

Application tiled April 27, 1904:. Serial No. 205.080. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM REYNOLDS THURs'roN, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident oi'l Jacksonville, in the county o't Duval and State ot' Florida, have invented a new and Improved rlrack and Switch System, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

My invention relates to a track and switch system constituting a safety device for use in connection with fast trains.

The object 0i' the invention is to provide an automatic switching device which will be op erated by the movement of a train to close all switches to side tracks and keep the main track open.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch which can be automatically operated by a part of a moving train to turn the switches in any desired manner upon the appreach ot' a train.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part oit' this speciiication, in which similar characters of` reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a railway, showing a preferred form of my iuvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the switch-operating mechanism and track. Fig'. 3 is a sectional view of a pertion of an engine or car with a switch-opel ating pin thereon and also showing a portion of the track. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4L 4. of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of the switch and part oiI its operating mechanism. Fig. is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a side view of a switch4 and signal device.

In the drawings, a a represent the main tracks and I) a siding. c is a switching-track between the two, which is intended to be operated in such a manner as to control the direction of motion oi' a train on any of the tracks, and Z is a signal-'frame provided with a vertical rodrl', to which is applied a signal, here represented by two varies R and W, which are designed to be painted red and white, respectively.

Z2 is an offset in the rod CZ.

Z3 is a lever,and d* a locking device therefor.

e is a plate which constitutes the base of the switch-operating mechanism, and one of these plates is located on the siding' and two on the main track equally distant from the switch and upon oppositesides oi' it. Preferably one et' those on the main track is directly opposite to the one on the siding, so that they can be connected together. V

The switch-mierating device comprises a stationary bar c and a pivoted irame provided with two bars fr, which are preferably bent in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, so to permit the operating-piu f to readily slide inte the space betwcen the end of the har c and the end of one et' the bars c3. The `frame c is pivoted at the point c* to the base-plate c, and the bar c is iixedlysccurcd to the plate e at the points ci and ci". Attached to the swing ing end of the frame c is a red y, which is pivoted to a crank g, attached to a rod g2, extending lengthwise of the track. This rod is in turn provided with a crank g3, to which is pivotally attached another rod, g". rihe rod r/l is attached to the oifset portion (Z et' the rod d and is also attached to a frame c, which forms a part ol the switch c. The switch also comprises a longitudinal rod c, with an offset portion ci attached to a har o", extending' transversely oiE the switch.

It will be seen from this description that when the pin f enters the space between the bars c and @3, as shown in Fig. 2, the frame c will be forced to swing on its pivot toward the side upon which the pin f is located. This will cause the oscillation et' the rods o through the connections described, which will in turn cause the reciprocation oi' the bar y, the turning' of the signal W R, and the turning oi' the switch c. flt will be obvious that this operation will be caused no matter which one oi the switching devices c is operated upon and that the movement of one et them will cause a simultaneous movement of all on account o'i' the longitudinal rod g2 and the connectingrod Thus supposing that the pin j' is always on the same side ot the train it will upon reaching any of the switching' devices c turn them, for example, into the position 'shown in Fig. 1, which will provide for a clear track by cutting' ott the siding It will also set IOO .could be employed at the bottom of an engine,

the signal so that the white portion thereof l will be in view of the engineer. If a train moves onto the siding, it will cause the same operation to take place, and therefore leave a clear track for the fast trains on the main track.

This system is especially designed for providing' for a clear track for fast trains; but slow trains may be provided with pins f, and they will of course be provided with means for operating such pins in such a manner as to permit them to go upon sidings when desired. In fact, all trains would preferably be provided with means for moving the pins from one side of the bar e to the other, so that the trains could be reversed and so that they could be placed upon sidings. Although this feature forms a separate part of my invention, I have illustrated a convenient form of it in Fig. 3. In this figure f indicates a guide for the pin f, and f2 is a rod having an offset portion passing through an eye in said pin and journaled in the bearings f on the frame F. f3 is a lever for operating the rod or shaft f2 to raise and lower the pin f. Upon the frame F are also guides F for the guideframe f@ This frame is designed to be reciprocated transversely of the tracks for the purpose of putting the pin to either side of the bar e. F2 indicates a lever for performing this operation. The wheels of the train are indicated by F3.

It will be obvious that many modifications may be made in the apparatus as shown by the drawings without departing from the spirit of my invention, for the drawings merely indicate the nature of the invention and show one form in which it may be embodied. One other manner in which I have contemplated applying my invention is to have the switching device connected with the switch in such a manner as to close it whenever the device is in the center of the track and to have it open the switch whenever the device is thrown to either side. The reverse of this construction could also be employed.

The principle of my invention is to be used, preferably, to perfect a main-line connection for fast trains, so as to insure the perfect safety thereof. In the last modification that I have mentioned a single central plunger which plunger should normally be down in position to operate the switches, but could be withdrawn upward out of operative position when desired. Two pins could also be used, one on each side, and operated so that when one was down the other would necessarily be up, and therefore one of them would always be in operative position. Then desired to operate for slower trains, the diverging bars e3 would be placed at different distances from the switch, and when applied to trains moving at very high rates of speed-as high, for example, as one hundred miles an hour-the diverging bars would have to be lengthened, so as to make the movements more gradual with respect to the speed of the train and prevent the too sudden operation of the switch.

One device can be placed on the engine and another one at any point on the rear of the train, or a single one can be placed on the rear of the train to operate the switches after the train has passed. It can be applied to both steam and electric railways and, in fact, to any kind of a railway whatever. It can advantageously be employed for placing the monkey or single-rail switch which is used on side tracks to prevent cars from running onto the main line. It can be placed in such a manner as to insure a continuous track when the switch is moved to allow a train to pass onto the siding.

Proper allowance for expansion and contraction should be made in the construction of the device.

I desire to emphasize the use of the angleplates and bars for operating the switch device, together with the shaft or rod alongside the track. It will readily be perceived that this may become important, as the strain on the shaft may cause sufficient vibration to result in lost motion at the opposite end, and therefore fail to accomplish the object for which it is designed. It is obvious that this could not occur with the angle-plates and connectingbars, as the strain in that case would be a direct strain on the longitudinal fibers of the bar.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A track and switch system, comprising a main track, a siding', a switch, three pivoted frames for throwing the switch, one of said frames being located on the siding and two on the main track, a signal and connections from the switch to the signal.

2. A safety device for railway-tracks, comprising a main track, a siding, a switch, and means for throwing the switch comprising a pivoted frame and located at a distance from the switch, a bar thereon and a stationary bar.

3. A safety device for railway-tracks, comprising a main track, a siding, aswitch, three pivoted frames for throwing the switch, each located at a distance from the switch, one being located on the siding and two on the main track, each frame having a pair of bars secured thereto, and a stationary bar located between each pair of barsupon the several pivoted frames.

4C. A safety device for railways, comprising a main track, a siding, a switch, three pivoted frames for throwing the switch, each located at a distance therefrom, one being upon the siding and two upon the main track, each pivoted frame being provided with a bar, a stationary bar being located in proximity to each of the bars upon the pivoted frames, connections from each of the pivoted frames to the IOO IOS

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switch and to each other, comprisingI a rod extending,l `from each frame, a rotatable rod connected to each of said tiret-mentioned rods. and a third rod connecting said Irotatable rod with the switch.

5. A safety device for railways, colml'nisingl a pivoted frame, a bar thereon, a stationary bar, a switch, and connections from said pivoted frame to the switch, comprising a rod pivoted to the frame, a rotatable rod, a link connecting said lirst-named rod to said. rotatable rod, a third rod connected to the switch, anda link connecting said rotatable rod to said third rod.

(i Aswitch-operating device, comprising'a stationary lbar secured to the road-bed at two points, and a iframe having two bars {iXed thereto, one located on each side ot' the stationary bar, said frame being pivoted at one ot' the points at which the stationary bar is secured.

7. A switch-operating device comprising a stationary bar, and a pivoted bar, said pivoted bar having` ends diverging from said stationary bai'.

8. The combination of a railway system, a switch, means for throwingl the switch having; a stationary bar and a pivoted frame, and means for moving` the pivoted frame comprisingl a pin and means for moving the `pin laterally and vertically.

9. The combination ot' a railway system, a switch, automatic means for moving the switch, and a lockingI device 'for the switch comprising` an oscillatable rod and a crank placed under the switch-`bars to hold them in close Contact with the track.

In testimony whereof IY have signed my name to this specilieation in the presence oil'I two subscribing` witnesses.

Wllllilillll REYNOLDS TllUlS'lON.

Witnesses:

T. H. LIVINGSTON, RS. HoDGms. 

